1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to beverage can opening tabs and more particularly pertains to a new beverage can opening tab for preventing insects from entering the interior of a beverage can through the beverage can opening.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of beverage can opening tabs is known in the prior art. More specifically, beverage can opening tabs heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art beverage can opening tabs include U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,712; U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,022; U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,238; U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,924; U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,835; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 268,250.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new beverage can opening tab. The inventive device includes a tab body with a seal opening portion, a mounting portion, a lifting portion, and at least one wing portion positioned adjacent the lifting portion. The mounting portion is mountable to the top lid of a beverage can such that the tab body is rotatable between an opening position and a covering position over the top lid. When the tab body is in the opening position, the seal opening portion is positioned adjacent the opening of the can so that the seal opening portion may be pivoted to open the frangible sealing member covering the opening on the top lid into the interior of the can. When the tab body is rotated to the covering position, the wing portion and the lifting portion are positioned over the opening to cover the opening in order to prevent insects from passing through the opening into the interior of can.
In these respects, the beverage can opening tab according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing insects from entering the interior of a beverage can through the beverage can opening.